04/28/2024
Today we made elder berry syrup and elder flower syrup. When prepared with a sugar water, both the berries and the flowers (pollen) make great syrups that can be used for fun or medicinal purposes. Right now is elder flower season so these plants are ready to be processed. This is the time to get those kids outside, identifying plants, and then cooking with them.
The recipe for these syrups is:
Ingredients:
For 1.8 liters / 7.5 cups:
1430 g/50.5 oz (about 6.5 cups) granulated sugar
946 ml/1 quart (4 cups) water
40 g (2.5 Tbsp) food-grade citric acid
30 big elderflower heads (at least 140g), if using more, the more intense the flavor will be
1 organic lemon, cut into slices (optional)
Directions:
Remove any insects or debris from the elderflower blossoms. Do not wash them, as they will lose a lot of flavor.
Combine sugar, water, and citric acid in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved (no need to boil). Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Trim the thick stems away from the elderflower heads and discard. Try to remove as much of the stems as you can.
Add the blossoms and the lemon slices (if using) to a large glass jar or a big bowl.
Pour the cool syrup into the jar/bowl with the elderflower blossoms. Make sure that the blossoms are immersed in the syrup. A small plate can help press them down. Cover the jar/bowl with a lid or a tea towel and let it steep at cool temperature (a cool room or the fridge) for 48 hours, stirring the syrup once daily.
Strain the syrup through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a cheesecloth or a paper towel into a clean jar/bottle.
Bottle the syrup – use tight screw tops. This syrup will usually keep for 1 year as is, stored in a dark, cool place (cellar/fridge). To make sure it keeps this long or even longer, after straining, you can boil the syrup for 5 minutes in a large pot before filling it into into bottles. Once opened, store the bottle in the fridge.
Enjoy!
